Aline gritted her teeth but resisted the urge to comment.
"Now," said Raoul, "I'm going to visit the convent to see if I can get in to talk to Jehanne. I need to find out - "
"You can't leave me here!" Aline was ashamed of the weak words as soon as they escaped, but she was adrift in a strange world and terrified.
He took her hands. "Hush, love. You'll be safe here. Men come to this house with a companion, not in search of one. And according to Paul, Mistress Helswith runs this place like a tight ship. If she has trouble, she has a clutch of strong sons next door at the farrier's."
His words were reasonable, but Aline would still like to cling to him and never let him go. She made herself smile up at him and say lightly, "Oh.
All right."
He touched her cheek. "That's my brave girl. . . ." Hand curled around her neck, he kissed her lips. Then - almost with a sigh - he gathered her into his arms to kiss her more thoroughly.
Aline's conscience and her sense of caution commanded that she resist.
She lacked the will.
She suspected that if he tumbled her onto the bed, she'd probably lack the will to resist there too.
As she savored the taste of his mouth and pressed closer to the hot strength of his body, she began to think of tumbling him to the bed! He drew back from the kiss, slowly, like a person pulling out of honey, and she felt the same sticky attachment protesting their separation. "Don't go."
The words escaped from her heart, from her demanding desire. "Oh, don't listen to me!" she added quickly. "I know I'm safe."
"Do you, indeed?" he murmured, arms still around her. "I'll have to come back here for the night, you know."
She knew why he made it a warning.
There really wasn't any choice, however, except returning to the convent. "I wouldn't want to spend the night here alone."
"That's what I mean."
"But you'd better go."
"Yes."
They were talking like idiots, or drunkards deep in their pots.
Aline braced her hands on his chest and gave a mighty shove so his hold broke, and he fell back a step. Suddenly he grinned. "Remember that push later. Here." He gave her his knife, a long, gleamingly sharp blade with a hilt of chased silver set with amber. "Can you use it if there's trouble?"
"Yes."
"I thought so. But don't knife one of the king's guards if they find you.
That's just for rapists." He turned at the door. "Including me."
"You couldn't rape me . . ."
"I wish I had such absolute faith."
"... because I can't imagine resisting."
He closed his eyes briefly. "Then God help us both."
"Amen," whispered Aline to the closed door.
* * * * * Raoul made his way through the London streets, trying to keep his mind on the serious matters at hand, aware only of aching desire and a luscious maid who perhaps wouldn't fight him hard enough in the night.
He wanted Aline, but he wanted her as his wedded wife. He didn't want to dishonor her. But he wanted her in a way he'd never wanted another woman in his life.
He groaned aloud, gaining him a funny look from a merchant hurrying by.
Galeran and Jehanne, he said silently to himself.
Almost having to move his lips to make his mind concentrate, he went over recent events. The king had agreed to hear Galeran's case. Galeran intended to ask that Jehanne be forgiven by society as well as himself, and that they keep Donata. There was no reason to think the king would deny these petitions, but then, why had he seized Jehanne and Donata?
Organizing an escape, however, was very dangerous. Galeran had returned from the convent concerned and angry, but he still seemed to think the confinement there of little importance. He was confident that the king would approve his case and Jehanne would go free.
So why did Jehanne want to be rescued so she could intrude upon the king?
Aline was right, Jehanne was no fool. Nor, despite her past mistakes, was she foolishly willful. Raoul very much feared she was intent upon offering herself up for punishment to prevent Galeran from having to face Lowick at sword's length.
If Raoul aided and abetted her in that, he'd probably end up facing his friend in combat himself! When he arrived at the convent, he rang the bell hanging beside the portal.
When the peep door opened, he asked, "I come seeking news of the